


The Forest

by FallenLightVillain



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Child Abuse, Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Past Abuse, Zuko doesn't get the scar on his face, but he has a lot of other ones
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:33:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25252429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenLightVillain/pseuds/FallenLightVillain
Summary: Jet manages to capture Zuko, who is leading a platoon of soldiers through the Gaipan forest. The rest of the soldiers escape due to Zuko covering for them. Zuko gets caught however and Jet thinks he found something useful. He discovers fire will even burn its own users.
Relationships: Jet/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 55
Kudos: 372





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Some notes. This is a canon divergent universe.
> 
> -Zuko never gets the scar on his face, but he does get a lot of others.  
> -Zuko is well respected among the soldiers of the Fire Nation. They've all seen how far he'll go to defend them.  
> -Zuko defends villages as he passes by them, no matter which side they're on.  
> -Zuko has been abused in multiple ways in his past but never speaks of it.  
> -Each nation has it's own language, which has different dialects and sometimes different subsets of languages. Hence firespeak and high firespeak.  
> -Zuko learned to speak other languages. However, he learned them by reading things from nobility and above. So he speaks like he's reading those things.

The attack on the passing group of Fire Nation soldiers earned Jet’s Freedom Fighters lots of good things. Extra food, blankets, armor, even stuff like blasting jelly and weapons. They had also managed to grab something else, a member of the soldiers’ platoon who seemed to be in charge.

The man had been caught, but he had shown no signs of firebending now despite having fought viciously before. He was in the middle of a stony clearing where he couldn’t catch anything on fire. The man was on his knees, still in full armor and bound with rope coated in blasting jelly, which was enough for him not to spark anymore. He seemed to want to live.

Jet walked up, staring down at the helmet and reaching forward to slide the skull-like guard out of the way and lifting the helmet off.

Jet had been expecting an old man or at least middle-aged, but this guy was his age maybe even a little younger. He was shorter than him too he noted, remembering the fight. The man… the boy had been careful during the fight. Creating flames, but never striking the youngest members and going purely defensive as he called something out in firespeak.

The other soldiers had hesitated, but a single word in the same cold tone of voice and the others had fled. He’d been left alone without extra defense, which meant that the group could take him down.

Jet stared at him, waiting a moment as icy eyes focused on him. Gold eyes. He was so clearly Fire Nation. He paused, glancing at the boy’s long hair pulled up into a high ponytail. He looked every bit like a normal Fire Nation soldier, if not too young. Jet reached for him earning the slightest narrowing of his eyes.

“Well, we’ve got questions,” Jet said, watching the others move to positions just in case something happened, “And you’re going to answer me.”

“I would think that you are the one with the questions,” The boy said, speaking like he was from nobility or something, in a way that like he was reading it out rather than speaking. Formal and stiff, “Considering.”

Jet snorted, it was stupidly amusing and the guy glared and Jet let his hand dart forward and wrap around a surprisingly delicate neck. He could feel him swallow hard, something wavering in him.

“That’s not a no,” Jet mused, realizing that the soldier had indeed not told him that he wouldn’t answer.

“Neither is it a yes,” He countered.

Jet grinned, slow and easy at the other boy. He stroked at his neck, pressing firmly at his pulse for a moment just to feel him swallow heavily again. Jet found it… interesting.

“Well let’s start with what you were doing here,” Jet asked.

He kept pressing and rubbing at his pulse with his thumb firmly. He could feel the tremble, gold eyes hard as metal.

“I was tasked with moving a platoon through the forest and into Gaipan,” He said shortly.

Jet hummed, thinking about the Fire Nation village. It made sense that soldiers would go there. Perhaps for supplies except… the platoon already had plenty of supplies. Why Gaipan? What could be waiting for them there?

“Who’s in charge of your movements?” Jet asked, fingers squeezing for a moment.

“Fire Lord Ozai,” The other said shortly, looking deadpan.

Jet snarled at that, fingers gripping and pressing hard into his neck. He choked for a minute until Jet let go of him and went back to almost stroking soft skin. He hummed, watching his reaction.

“I don’t want sass,” Jet said, but the guy didn’t answer, “Well?”

He kept his eyes focused on Jet’s dark brown, silent.

“Nothing to say?” Jet asked, realizing a moment later that might be foolish.

Jet didn’t know what the soldier was saying in firespeak, but he felt like it was insulting… or maybe just nasty. Jet couldn’t tell, but something felt strange about his infliction. Maybe he was speaking a strange dialect. Jet didn’t get this guy.

“Why Gaipan?” Jet asked, earning more silence.

“Jet, we can’t afford to stay down here for too long,” Smellerbee said softly, starting to walk forward, “We can bring him with us and ask more.”

Jet stared, seeing him blink at him and nodding, “Grab him. We’re not done.”

As they brought him into the trees Jet looked over at him. He was extremely pale, which only made his appearance more unsettlingly striking. When they got him up they put him in the only treehouse with a pole to tie him to in the center. Which was Jet’s own.

Jet sat on his bed, the soldier tied up still and his eyes closed. He was breathing steadily and Jet stared. He stood up, which didn’t even earn a twitch. He made his way to him and carefully kneeled in front of him and started to undo the clasps on his armor. His eyes snapped open, showing extreme focus. He was stiff, feeling the other remain perfectly still as his chest plate was pulled off. Jet didn’t need a fully armored firebender up here with him.

His underclothes were an ashy gray, a top that wrapped and tied covering him from the neck down. He was covered more than he expected. The clothes were loose in the sleeves and legs, but tight at his ankles and wrists. The armor was also heavier than Jet expected.

He looked back, now at suspicious eyes. He paused, blinking at the hint of fear in his eyes. He chewed on the piece of wheat in his mouth. Of all the things to throw the soldier off, it was removing the armor?

Jet’s focus suddenly shifted, moving to grab his jaw. He slowly stared and slipped his hand under the wrapped material guarding his throat. He was barking something in firespeak, eyes just slightly wider than before. Jet could hear his voice shaking though, he was searching for something. Burn scars had a different texture than normal scars and he was quick to find that texture under his collar.

Jet yanked the material open forcefully, the tunic-like top pooling around his biceps. There were deep burns all over the torso in front of him. Including what could have been a hand wrapped around his throat. He stared, fingers quickly finding patterns that worked under them.

A set of burns on his shoulder and chest that looked random, but were likely burning fingertips pressed to his skin. One that looked like they’d pressed a burning first to his chest or punched him. More burns in near-perfect handprints on his biceps. Something was unsettling about what he was seeing on his skin.

Someone had used fire on him, though he didn’t know in what way. Had it just been to hurt him? Torture him? What had he done to earn burning hands on him? Jet knew scars and these were old. All of them were old. Years old and he was probably sixteen.

Jet looked at him and the boy ground out in his strange speech, “I would remove your hands.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jet sees scars all over once he pushes a little more and finds that he doesn't like scars on this teenage soldier. Or the implications they give him.

Jet had walked out; ordered that he be left alone and took a walk.

Jet had seen so many scars on what skin was visible and he could practically imagine more scars on his hidden skin. He could only see his chest and upper arms really. Along with his neck. Jet’s mind kept moving back to the soldier’s scars. He wanted to chalk it up to shoddy firebending, but he was sure that couldn’t be right. The marks were clearly made intentionally by outside sources. Firebenders that he was raised around or given to so he could be trained.

Jet also remembered his reaction when he’d started to remove his armor and the tenseness of his body when Jet had yanked his shirt open. He had been glaring, but there was fear in his eyes. He had been scared of him when he’d stripped him. There were some heavy implications for his reaction. Jet ignored the thoughts that it brought up.

Jet found his way back in, golden eyes turning to him and staring warily. The gray clothing had started to slip down his arms more. Jet stared at pale skin being exposed. He looked at his eyes again and moved forward. He carefully kneeled in front of him again and watched him tense up more.

“You’re really not going to like me now,” Jet needed more proof.

He slowly reached for his tunic and the soldier fought back. One of his legs tried to kick out, but Jet was expecting it. He kneeled on his thighs, pinning his legs and ignoring his struggles. He worked the tunic open more, sliding it down to his wrists.

His chest was heaving. The careful breathing he’d noticed firebenders use completely gone. Jet could see more marks; far too many too perfect handprints and other small intentional burns. Not that there weren’t other burns, but there were more from hands. He stared at the marks, eyes traveling down until they hit his hips.

There was a pair of deep burns, hands permanently shown on his hips. Where another firebender had grabbed and burned him. Probably to make him stay still while they… while they raped him. Which would be why he freaked out anytime Jet had taken off his armor and why he was so panicked about his shirt.

Jet could feel the conflict, his mouth dry but wanting to throw up. He hated the Fire Nation and all of its ash makers, but apparently they weren’t above hurting their own. Even the firebenders. That one of their own, maybe even many of them, had used and abused a teenage boy. Jet tried not to think too deeply about how deep the scars were or how old they were. He had to have been… young when it started.

Jet realized his hands were smoothing his shirt back up. Hiding the scars from view.

Without being able to see the scars, Jet was almost able to pretend he was just another soldier. Someone who had lived a life that others would only dream of. Not someone shaking under his hands from an ingrained fear that he’d be taken advantage of. That Jet would take advantage.

Not that it would probably be hard for the other to believe. He was some stranger in the woods who’d taken him prisoner and then forcefully stripped him in private. Jet carefully left the room again, sitting somewhere private and rubbed at his face.

“He doesn’t deserve pity,” He told himself, “His past doesn’t make him a good person.”

“Maybe it doesn’t make him a bad person either,” Jet heard, looking up to meet Smellerbee’s eyes, “Though I don’t know exactly what’s going on.”

“Yeah well, it doesn’t matter, we need answers,” He told her.

“Well we got some without asking questions,” She pointed out, “He didn’t want to hurt the kids. He didn’t even seem to want to hurt us. He’s a little bit sarcastic. He talks like a book written like some hoity-toity noble.”

Jet raised a brow at her, shaking his head in amusement. He just sat there, thinking about what she said. The soldier hadn’t tried to hurt them. He had practically stopped fighting when his platoon was gone. He’d made himself the biggest target, but he hadn’t attacked them with the intent to kill and he hadn’t caught the forest on fire despite how easy it could’ve been.

“So what are you gonna do Jet?” She asked him.

“He talks like… a book…” Jet mumbled, “He probably learned to speak earthspeak… from noble written books.”

“So?” She asked, sighing.

“So he was probably a nobleman’s son,” Jet sat up, turning to look at his friend.

“We could use him as leverage,” Smellerbee suggested.

Jet opened his mouth to agree so that they could get things, maybe change the way things were going. Then he remembered the burns of hands on his hips and fear in his eyes. If he was raised in a noble house then either his parents were aware of and didn’t care about what was happening to their son, doing it themselves, or weren’t aware at all and it was someone else.

Jet imagined trying to figure out who his parents were and using the soldier as a bartering chip. Jet didn’t want to give him back though, after seeing that. He could still be leverage without being given up after all and Jet wouldn’t get the nasty feeling that he’d given him back to a situation that was dangerous.

Jet took a breath, “Not yet, I want more answers.”

She nodded, gently starting to leave, “You know… it’s not like everyone from the Fire Nation can be bad. Not saying he’s good… but who knows.”

Jet glared a little, mind still full of the years-old scars on the young soldier’s body. It was impossible for him to think of anything but who had caused them. Who had thought it was okay? Jet shook off the thought again and walked back into the room, meeting gold eyes that were glaring at him and slightly pulled back. Jet had scared him, even if he showed anger instead of fear.

Jet turned away from him for a minute to sit on a crate.

“We still need to talk,” He grumbled to him, “And I’m staying over here. No need for risk of burns.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko wonders about what's happening and reminisces about his decision.

Zuko glared at the strange teen in front of him. He didn’t even know where he and his group had come from when they attacked his soldiers. So he had done what he would do for any people. He’d ordered them to run while he distracted the enemy. Then he’d snapped the order again, knowing that they didn’t want to leave him.

The other was probably about his age, but a good few inches taller than him. He just continued to glare as the other spoke to him again.

“What is someone your age doing in charge of so many soldiers?” Zuko didn’t speak immediately, taking in his options.

The teen -what was he even doing out in the forest like this- seemed to be rather random in his actions. At least to Zuko.

“They trust me,” Another simple, diplomatic answer.

The guy made a face, but Zuko didn’t know what this teen knew.

First, he and soldiers were attacked by the group without any sort of warning. Second, he was caught in a mixed attempt to save his own people and not hurt any of the children following the teen. Third, they’d captured him and tied him up with ropes covered in blasting jelly. Then their leader had proceeded to remove his helmet and take a moment before he said they had questions for him.

Zuko hadn’t been able to help himself, he’d sassed at the other teen. His problem with keeping his mouth shut earned him a hand surging forward to wrap around his throat. Apparently Zuko had never been able to shake his dislike of hands on his throat, glaring at him but swallowing hard. He was speaking earthspeak, knowing that the other probably knew a couple of words of firespeak at best.

Then he’d sassed again. Neither agreeing with the other, but he also hadn’t disagreed to answer. That had earned the other’s fingers stroking his neck and pressure being applied to his throat.

Zuko had answered his first question diplomatically. Truthful, but without actual information to be used against him. Then he’d asked who had ordered it and Zuko gave a different answer with as little emotion as he could. He’d lied and said that the Fire Lord had ordered the movement.

Of course, Zuko hadn’t heard from his father in three years. Not since he’d spoken against the plan one of his generals had to sacrifice their new recruits. He’d gone through an Agni Kai against who he thought would be the general. Instead, it was his father and he’d burned his throat. He’d spent almost a year in silence, hoping his voice wasn’t gone forever. After being tasked with the capture of the Avatar, Zuko had been banished and set out on a boat that his uncle had gathered for him and followed him into banishment.

Zuko had told Iroh his plan immediately. He knew he couldn’t find the Avatar, the Avatar had been gone for a hundred years. He was also a thirteen-year-old boy, prince or not.

So Zuko’s plan was to save as many of his people as he could. If his father was willing to sacrifice his people and son so freely, he wouldn’t care about anything. So Zuko would fight to protect them and took in anyone who was willing to fight with him. To protect those who couldn’t fight on their own. To restore real glory to the Fire Nation.

Zuko’s mind went back to when his father had found out what people were doing to him. The man had sneered and walked away. Refused to protect him even when he was a child.

Zuko had taken in defectors and turncoats. Anyone who could fight and was natively from the Fire Nation. Those from other nations were simply freed and given the right directions to return to their people. They’d cautiously found their way to the banished, burned prince. To the Dragon of the West. To royalty who didn’t want to fight for the ‘glory’ of the Fire Nation anymore.

Zuko was slowly amassing his own army. Completely of people who were Fire Nation born and wanted to get Ozai off the throne.

They’d placed their trust in the banished prince of their people. Rallied behind him and started searching for more fighters who would turn.

The ones Zuko had just found were much like the 41st Division had been. New recruits being sent to their death. He hadn’t been able to abandon them, he’d promised them training and a chance to stop the war.

It was rare that his offer was refused.

“Are you just blatantly ignoring me?” Zuko had zoned out, but he just stared at him again.

“Perhaps,” Zuko said shortly and watched his eyes narrow.

Zuko felt his shoulders stiffen when he remembered the way the other had stripped him down and stared over the scars. Both times he’d seen the scars the other had stormed out. Zuko didn’t get it, but he decided that the other had found it disgusting.

He glared at Zuko, “What’s in Gaipan?”

Zuko blinked, staring at him and then realized that because he was guiding his people there, this Earth Kingdom boy had decided that it was his final destination.

“Nothing, it was merely a stop,” Before Zuko made it to the mountains and the hidden base of his army.

The other growled, looking annoyed and closing his eyes with a low breath. Zuko shifted and realized that his shirt was still loose and was falling around his shoulders again. He watched the other’s eyes dart to his neck and get an expression he didn’t understand again, but Zuko stiffened under it, glaring and pressing his back to the pole behind him.

“Stop that,” The angry tone of his voice did  _ not _ help Zuko’s suspicions, earning another glare from the other teen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zuko's gone and is making his own army, but... he's also refusing to contact any other nations. He thinks that they won't accept his help.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jet asks a couple more questions and muses about the rebellion he's heard about in the Fire Nation.

Jet eyed the soldier, his jaw set as he did. He was stupidly angry, there was nothing he could do to make the soldier talk to him. He seemed to be doing his best to not give clear answers; sitting there stiff and now they were at a standoff. A standoff that Jet was eager to break.

Jet noted that the soldier’s shirt was falling again and he stared at his delicate throat with the burn scar wrapping around it. It was the scar that started his strange thoughts about the soldier. His refusal to contact anyone about the soldier. The weird incessant need to protect him, even though he was probably very capable of protecting himself. Even if all the scars made him wonder if that was really true.

He had snapped at him, but he didn’t know what to make of his reaction. He seemed easily upset by Jet looking at his scars. Didn’t like the way Jet lost his temper for a moment.

Jet’s breath caught, eyes closing as he realized why he was reacting so badly. The thought of the other believing that he’d stoop that far was sickening. He couldn’t blame him though, with everything that happened it was probably hard for him to trust anyone who so much as looked at him with the slightest hint of attraction or when his clothes weren’t covering him. It probably made him sure that they were going to do  _ that _ and it was a horrible thought.

He opened his eyes again, staring back at wary gold. He took a breath and kept his eyes on him.

“If Gaipan is just a stop, where were you bringing those soldiers?” Jet tried, “The only things in that direction are mountains and some Earth Kingdom villages… unless of course you were ordered to take them out. The Fire Nation seems to like burning villages.”

Jet hated the idea that those small villages would be harmed; full of Earth Kingdom civilians and overrun by Fire Nation soldiers. Potentially destroyed like his own home had been destroyed years ago.

“No,” Jet focused on the soldier’s bright eyes again with a raised brow at the serious tone of voice, “The villages weren’t where we were to head.”

Jet watched him, trying to decide if he was lying to him. It was hard to believe because there was nothing in the mountains that the Fire Nation armies could want. Besides villages to overrun, there was nothing to gain by heading into the mountains. Jet found that he thought he looked sincere though. Not that he couldn’t just be a really good liar.

“So you were just going to take a stroll in the mountains?” He snarked, “Sounds like a fun walk for someone in the army.”

“No,” The soldier stated shortly.

Jet couldn’t understand this guy, who just took soldiers into the mountains like that?

Then Jet remembered the rumors that had been spreading lately.

The Fire Nation was under attack from within. Jet had thought it literal at first but… apparently what they had meant was that soldiers were abandoning their posts. Joining some sort of Fire Nation resistance group.

Apparently, someone from the Fire Nation was coming through and taking soldiers who didn’t agree with the ideology of the Fire Nation. No one knew who, there were rumors of spirits being involved and rumors of it starting as just a small chunk of the army up and leaving and that they were a ragtag group with nothing behind it.

Then the attacks started.

What looked like full battalions of soldiers coming to aid their own, turned on them suddenly, driving troops out of the Earth Kingdom. Sending battleships into Water Tribe seas and destroying raider ships. The Fire Nation was scrambling to figure out how this was happening and who was doing it because the enemy wore the Fire Nation’s colors and armor. They flew the Fire Nation flag. They were completely indistinguishable from the actual Fire Nation, which seemed to be their goal. They called themselves part of the Fire Nation, but they wanted to tear it from the Fire Lord’s hands. They didn’t want the Fire Nation that Sozin, Azulon, and now Ozai were creating.

Jet found the chaos amusing. He didn’t know what to think of these soldiers though. He had heard that when they found people from the Earth Kingdom, they got them home. They took no soldiers from other nations and sent them to support within their own armies.

Jet still didn’t know how they were doing it.

He got up, looking at him seriously, “Just don’t burn down the place, you’ll burn too…”

He looked at him as the other gave him a bored looked, “And for the record, I’m not the type to force myself on someone. Ever.”

He stalked out, making his way over to Smellerbee, hoping she could help him put his thoughts in order. He found her, jerking his head and watching her shrug and start to follow him. Longshot wasn’t far behind which was good, he was good at giving Jet ideas and telling him what he thought… even if he didn’t speak.

He settled down in a tree away from the kids, but where they could be called for and watched them do the same.

“You guys remember hearing about that Fire Nation resistance… civil war, whatever?” Jet asked, watching their faces.

“Yeah, I remember,” Smellerbee said and Jet watched Longshot see his agreement, “What about it?”

“Have you ever wondered how they got so organized?” He asked.

“Not really, but what do you mean?” She asked, question careful.

“I mean, usually when something like that happens,” Jet started slowly, “You throw away the old flag, the old armor, you try and make yourselves different. These guys just… didn’t. They kept the armor, the flag, they fight in the same formations, and it  _ works _ . They’ve turned the Fire Nation’s own tactics against them.”

Jet watched Longshot nod a little, clearly understanding, “They still consider themselves the Fire Nation, but they fight against the Fire Lord. That kind of organization doesn’t come easy. They slip in and out of the army as if they belong there… because they do and those that don’t are taught how to.”

They were watching him, but Jet couldn’t get it out of his head.

“That means that  _ someone  _ is heading that army,” He said, looking at them seriously, “Someone who already knows what they’re doing.”

“So they have a former general or something,” Smellerbee suggested, then got a strange look on her face, “But… they’re so loyal to Sozin’s bloodline that it feels odd that they’d turn against it completely. It just doesn’t seem… right.”

Jet sighed, then looked up and met Longshots curious eyes. Something about that… Jet’s eyes went wide and he froze in place.

“Unless… they already have someone from Sozin’s line,” Jet said slowly, “Someone who can take the throne when the Fire Lord falls. They could have someone already and no one knows it.”

“That’s insane,” Smellerbee said, shaking her head, but she looked uncertain, just barely, “All information says that both his children support the war effort, his own son is said to be in the army already. You know, the crown prince? The Fire Lord’s brother even travels with him. That’s everyone that could take the throne accounted for. No member of the family to turn against them.”

“Prince was banished,” Jet’s head whipped towards Longshot after his short statement.

He met his eyes for a moment as the memory cropped up, “That’s right… the prince was… banished three years ago. No one really knew why, but he was. Not sure that means he’d turn on his father, from the information we get, he’s still loyal, but it’s a thought… it’s doubtful though, he apparently is extremely behind the effort to take down the Earth Kingdom.”

They all looked at each other, Jet speaking again as it occurred to him what he might have wasn’t a soldier loyal to the Fire Lord, but a soldier who was part of a resistance who wanted the Fire Lord off the throne.

“If I were going to hide an army… the mountains would be a good place to do it,” Jet said, looking at them, “And that soldier we have was headed into the mountains.”

“Maybe you should ask?” Smellerbee suggested.

Jet felt himself smile a little at her, “Yeah, yeah, I get it.”

He stood up and nodded his thanks to them as he went back to his own hut. He walked in, mouth opening and stared. It was empty. He looked at the cleanly cut ropes and couldn’t help but feel his lips twitch a bit.

“Pretty  _ and _ resourceful,” He murmured, looking at where the armor was, “I wasn’t even gone that long and he got back into his armor and out of here.”

He shook his head, knowing that the soldier was probably gone for good now. The thought of a resistance effort like that existing was relieving in a way. Jet hated the Fire Nation but knowing that some of them were against what was happening gave him a little more hope. Especially with that particularly clever soldier as part of it.

Jet wasn’t really one for the mountains, he was more at home in the trees, but he might have to pay a visit to them anyway. See what he could find out about whether or not there might be an army hidden there.

Even though that seemed insane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The news of the Fire Nation rebellion is fairly widespread, but they can't really be contact as no one knows who's in charge or even who's doing anything. They fall in and out of the army so easily that it's impossible to find stray members too.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jet sneaks up the mountain where he's sure the Fire Nation soldier disappeared... and finds a surprise he wasn't expecting.

Jet had decided. He fucking hated the mountains. Who the fuck wanted to be in the mountains? There were no forests, no chances to hide at first sight and everything was far too exposed. It wasn’t too hard to start to find the right spots to hide, but it was still uncomfortable. Jet was meant to hide in the trees.

He was moving in as many shadows as possible, hand set on his swords. He moved slowly, glancing around quickly. He was trying to find signs of an army base, but it was harder than he thought. Jet figured it would be hard to move a lot of soldiers anywhere without leaving a trail and making it obvious.

Which was just blatantly not true. Jet was barely able to tell that anyone had passed through the mountains at all. He was basing it off of the easiest path, considering how often the soldiers probably went up and down the mountain and how many there might be. They couldn’t be taking only small, out of the way paths. There had to be better ones.

So Jet kicked a rock down a hill to see if anyone was hiding down there. He wasn’t going to run headfirst into a trap just to go and find a potential Fire Nation soldier who happened to be attractive. Jet would deny any reasons he had been connected to how good looking the soldier was though.

The sign of movement at the bottom of the trail piqued his interest though. He held his breath, stilling in the shadows and staring as several forms in red appeared. For fucks sake where had they been  _ hiding _ ? It didn’t seem right that people dressed in red of all colors would be able to sip into the shadows, much less as effectively as these had done.

They had their hands settled on weapons or were not carrying any and ready for an attack. Jet stiffened, watching them as they searched for a minute and slowly relaxed a little more as he crept around out of sight. He wondered if there was a change in their watch soon where he could follow them right back to base. That or if people were patrolling that he could manage to follow.

He took a breath and hunkered down for however long it took to have there be some sort of change.

\----------

As it turns out, it took several hours before there was so much as a simple change in the guards, and Jet had questions.

Namely how the soldiers weren't dying in the heat. They did seem bothered at all even though they were all wearing full heavy armor. They were just standing and speaking quietly together while immediately checking for anything nearby at the slightest sound. It was excruciating to Jet, who was also under the sun and he wondered how they were doing it.

At the first sight of the soldier's work being taken over Jet was on his feet. He started to move along the ridge above them, eyes focused and keeping himself low. It was slow going, but necessary. So he took a breath as he saw them meet up with more soldiers and stop for a moment, speaking in that same quiet way.

Jet froze though, wondering why they were almost speaking  _ more _ quietly than before, eyes narrowed. His expression suddenly shifted, trying to sneak closer, looking down at them when he saw one of the men glance up at the ridge.

Glancing right at Jet for just a moment and met his eye.

Jet bit back curses, standing up and ready to flee. He should have known something was up. The soldiers hadn't gone nearly far enough in search of the source of the noise that he'd made.

He turned, only to find that they'd gotten behind him. A woman kicked out, catching him in the ribs. Jet hissed at that, hand flying to his swords only for someone to come up from behind and grab his arms.

He hadn't expected an attack, trying to slip by without trouble. He wasn't planning on interacting at all. He struggled, shifting and kicking sharply at the nearest body.

The choked off grunt was satisfying, telling him that he'd at least caused the recipient some discomfort if nothing else.

He twisted in the grip; finding a man shifting into a fighting stance next to the man, keeping his arms pinned and Jet kicked out again.

The man backed up this time and at the feeling of his captor's grip slipping he was grateful. He'd have to rethink his whole plan on spying on them.

A sharp hit to the back of his neck caused him to slump in the man's grip though, vision going blurry before he passed out. He did manage to hear something being said before he passed out, but he couldn’t place what it could be.

\----------

Jet woke slowly, hands tied firmly behind him and at least three guards set on him that he could see.

As much as he’d been planning on making it into their hideout, he hadn’t expected to be knocked out and dragged to it. He hadn’t expected there to be extra guards or any that had seen him. Overall, he was impressed.

Impressed and in pain. Which was going to be what he was stuck with. Considering that he had two soldiers watching him closely as he woke up. He was in a chair, facing a single door.

Looks like they were taking him as a threat. Damn.

One of the soldiers was quick to disappear, walking out of the room and leaving him with the last one. He eyed him for a moment before he smirked.

~~~~~~~~~~

Zuko looked up from the plans that they’d gotten on the movements of a squadron of Fire Nation loyalists. He was planning how to take them out before they could cause damage to the towns in their path. It was a constant struggle, working as hard as they could to keep the Earth Kingdom out of the hands of the Fire Nation.

A soldier had appeared, causing him to sit up straight and frown slightly.

“He woke up,” The man said, earning nothing more than a sigh from Zuko.

This wasn’t the first time that someone had found their way into their base, but it was never good when they did. Things had to be dealt with quickly before someone could escape and tell someone what was going on. Especially if they’d seen Zuko himself and found out that the leader of the resistance was the Crown Prince himself.

It couldn’t happen, he couldn’t let it happen. Which was why he was prepared to have to deal with this once again. He didn’t enjoy it, he couldn’t even think that someone could, but… he wouldn’t leave it on his men. That wasn’t something that they needed to do. He took a breath and stood up, moving to go and see who had been sneaking around the compound for himself.

As he walked through the halls, Zuko still had to marvel on their luck. Though if he was honest, he was more inclined to believe it was the work of the spirits rather than actual luck. Luck had never been on Zuko’s side.

The building was sturdy, hidden, and long abandoned. It was also clearly Fire Nation. The design, everything screamed Fire Nation. It was probably why it was still abandoned, despite standing strong for so long. The Earth Kingdom didn’t want to go near anything that the Fire Nation made. Which meant that it was perfect for building an army in.

He sighed, staring at the door, slowly starting to walk forward, expression moving to neutral. He wouldn’t show any sign of weakness. He walked into the room, expecting to see someone in Fire Nation colors that would have to be dealt with or someone from another nation thinking that they’d found a Fire Nation stronghold.

Instead, Zuko was faced with the same Earth Kingdom teenager who had a band of misfit kids who helped him hold Zuko hostage for a couple of hours. He glanced at the guard, who’s expression was pinched and annoyed. The other had gone through a lot of trouble to annoy him, smirking as he looked over at Zuko.

He didn’t say anything to call him out directly, but he could tell by the look in his eyes that he recognized him. Unless… 

“Leave,” Zuko said, making sure to look at the guard who was clearly at the end of his rope with the other teen.

A glance from the soldier, frowning at him, “Sir, I don’t think-”

“I’ll be fine,” Zuko immediately dismissed, focused on the other who was still grinning easily, “Just go, I’ve got a discussion to have with this intruder.”

The man was still hesitating, but he sighed and turned, “Do you think I can’t defend myself against  _ one _ person?”

The man stumbled over his words for a minute, before quieting down and turning to leave. Zuko waited, closing the door and turning immediately back to the other. He took in his relaxed form; wondering what he was even there for and if Zuko was right about it he was done with his luck.

“Why,” Zuko hated speaking in earthspeak, he would do it though, because he was sure this guy didn’t speak a damn word of even lower firespeak, “Are you here?”

The other was relaxed, staring at Zuko and taking him in slowly. Zuko was stiff; glaring and taking a moment to breathe deeply.

“What are you doing here?” He said again, glaring as firmly as he could.

The sight of the other taking him in with curious brown eyes was unnerving and the eyes on his neck… Zuko really didn’t like that. He’d seen too much, far too much, but Zuko couldn’t just kill someone for having seen his scars. He knew it would be wrong… it was still tempting.

“Honestly, I had a couple of suspicions on where you could have gone,” The other teen said, voice fairly friendly for being a prisoner, “And a few suspicions on what you were doing.”

Zuko froze up more, expression turning more stern than before. He had to figure out what he was doing and what he knew. What he might tell someone and how much damage that could do.

“Suspicions?” He said shortly, staring at him as he met his eyes again.

“Yeah, I’ve got suspicions about you,” He admitted easily, “Because most Fire Nation soldiers won’t leave Earth Kingdom people alone when they’re attacking them, but you walked out of our hideout… without doing anything.”

Zuko realized that of all the things that was going to out him as a rebel wasn’t saying something wrong or doing something strange… it was just that he wasn’t going to burn down the hideout he’d been taken to because most of the Fire Nation soldiers would have. He glared harder, staring and giving him a cold look.

“What do you want?” Zuko said coldly, “Why are you here?”

“I don’t  _ want _ anything,” He denied, “I’m here because I was curious.”

He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a few deep breaths. He wasn’t going into this aggravated, it would lead to things like trying to set the other on fire.

“What were you so curious about?” He ground out, glaring at him again.

“What the Fire Nation’s own little resistance group is doing hiding in the mountains of the Earth Kingdom,” He said.

Zuko went stiff, expression turning as cold as he could make it. Knowing just that was far more dangerous that he knew that than knowing just about anything else. Because that information was useful to the Fire Nation.

“Oh, don’t look so mad,” He said, rolling his eyes and Zuko stiffened, “I haven’t got anything against this. Actually, your little resistance is probably the only thing from the Fire Nation that I like.”

“What good would knowing about a resistance that is purely Fire Nation do you?” He asked, watching his expression, “If it was even real?”

The other snorted, shaking his head at him, “Are you serious? Everyone knows how pissed off the Fire Nation is about it. Everyone who wants to see this war end adores it.”

Zuko was tense, glaring, but wondering if that was true. They’d avoided contact with anyone who might want to talk to them. Not only out of worry that it was the Fire Nation, but worry that the other nations might think they still want the war and just not Ozai.

Zuko paused, staring for a moment longer, “What good does it do you?”

The other grinned and Zuko settled in for a long talk that he wasn’t sure would do him any good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jet does not expect to be found, but maybe it's better that he did.

**Author's Note:**

> This is for now, purely going to be Jetko, but I may add Sokka into the mix of the relationship later because I enjoy it.


End file.
